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ner to corner. I then work counterclockwise around the room. I nail large moldings along both the top edges and the bottom edges, which is why backing trim can be so useful. I place the bottom edge on the reference marks, nail the bottom edge first and then nail the top. Coping inside miters makes a tighter fit Reference marks help to make tight outside miters. On out-of-square corners, the author extends the upper line of the molding and transfers the intersecting points onto the stock (top photo). Aligning the sawblade to the marks (center photo), he can cut a reasonably accurate miter (bottom photo) with little guesswork. Instead of mitering inside corners, I cope the right end of each successive piece of molding. A coped joint is essentially a butt joint made by scribing the end of one molding to fit the profile of the opposite half of the joint. Coping may take more time than mitering, but in the end, it makes a better joint. Often, inside miters will open as the joint is nailed because the molding is drawn tighter than it could be held by hand or because the drywall yields slightly under the influence of the hammer. The coped joint avoids these problems and can also be easily modified to accommodate small variations in the molding profile. To make a coped joint, I run the first half of the coped joint tight to the corner. The adjoining piece is first mitered exactly as if it were half a conventional inside miter. If you hold a mitered molding in a corner close to an adjoining molding, you'll see how the miter cut reveals an edge profile of the adjoining piece. After darkening the profile edge with a pencil (photo top left, facing page), I use a coping saw to cut as close to the line as I can with a slight back cut (photo top right, facing page). If you look at the cut from straight on, you should not see any material protruding beyond the cutline. After sawing, I use a bastard file or a chisel to dress the cope until the profile fits (bottom photo, facing page). Often, the last length of molding in a room must be coped at both ends. I first rough-cut the molding full length, cope the right side as usual, then measure the top and bottom lengths. I cut the miter in the chopsaw, sighting along the blade to make sure the angle and length are correct; cut the cope; and test the fit. A long molding is more easily fitted than a short one because it can be cut a fraction oversize and sprung into place. A short molding must be perfect, and it can be tuned with a sharp chisel and rasp ifit is almost right. Be prepared for mistakes, and dump a short molding if it just won't fit. A second attempt is a better investment of time than patching a bad joint. 0 Joseph Beals is a designer and builder in Marshfield, Massachusetts. Photos by Charles Bickford. 82 FINE HOMEBUILDING